Harvey Korman

Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927 – May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. He is best remembered as a main cast member alongside Carol Burnett, Tim Conway and Vicki Lawrence on the CBS sketch comedy series The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1977) for which he won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

His early roles were on The Danny Kaye Show and The Lucy Show. Korman briefly starred in his own sitcom The Harvey Korman Show (1978) and continued to work with his The Carol Burnett Show cast mates in projects such as The Tim Conway Show (1980), and Mama's Family (1983–1984). He starred in several comedy films by Mel Brooks including Blazing Saddles (1974), High Anxiety (1977), History of the World, Part 1 (1981) and Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995). His other notable films include Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), and Curse of the Pink Panther (1983).

Korman is known for his voice work, taking on roles such as The Great Gazoo in The Flintstones (1965–1966). He is also known for voice roles in Garfield and Friends, Alice in Wonderland, Dumb and Dumber, Hey Arnold!, The Wild Thornberrys, and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

Early life and education Korman was born in Chicago, of Russian Jewish descent, the son of Ellen (née Blecher) and Cyril Raymond Korman, a salesman. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. After being discharged, he studied at the Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago (now at DePaul University) and at HB Studio. He was a member of the Peninsula Players summer theatre program during the 1950, 1957, and 1958 seasons.

Career

1959–1966: Early years Korman's first television role was as a head waiter in "Decisions, Decisions, Decisions", an episode of The Donna Reed Show. He appeared as a comically exasperated public relations man in a January 1961 episode of the CBS drama Route 66. He was seen on numerous television programs afterwards including the role of Blake in the 1964 episode "Who Chopped Down the Cherry Tree?" on the NBC medical drama The Eleventh Hour and a bartender in the 1962 Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Unsuitable Uncle". He frequently appeared as a supporting player in The Danny Kaye Show from 1963 through 1967. He was cast three times, including the role of Dr. Allison in "Who Needs Glasses?" (1962), in ABC's The Donna Reed Show. He also guest-starred in Dennis the Menace and in the NBC contemporary western series Empire.

From 1964 to 1966, he appeared three times in consecutive years in the CBS comedy The Munsters starring Fred Gwynne and Yvonne De Carlo. During the 1965–1966 season, Korman appeared regularly on ABC's The Flintstones as the voice of The Great Gazoo in its final season on network television.

1967–1977: The Carol Burnett Show

The 1967 debut of The Carol Burnett Show gave Korman his greatest recognition. Korman starred alongside Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, and Tim Conway. During his ten-year run on the show, he received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won four, in 1969, 1971, 1972, and 1974. The exact name of the category changed slightly during the period, but the award was for "Outstanding Achievement by a Supporting Performer in Music or Variety show". He was also nominated for four Golden Globes for the series, winning that award in 1975. In 1977, he left The Carol Burnett Show to headline his own sitcom on ABC, The Harvey Korman Show, which lasted five episodes.

While appearing on The Carol Burnett Show, Korman gained further fame by appearing as the villainous Hedley Lamarr in the 1974 Mel Brooks film Blazing Saddles starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, and Madeline Kahn. Ron Pennington of The Hollywood Reporter praised his performance writing, "The performances are all comedy gems, with Korman especially delightful as Hedley Lamarr, scheming and plotting with all the finesse of a precocious brat". He also starred in Brooks' High Anxiety (1977) as Dr. Charles Montague.

1978–2006 In 1978, he appeared in the CBS Star Wars Holiday Special providing levity in three of the special's variety segments: a cantina skit with Bea Arthur in which he plays a barfly who drinks through a hole in the top of his head, another as Chef Gormaanda, a four-armed parody of Julia Child, and one as a malfunctioning Amorphian android in an instruction video. In 1980, he played Captain Blythe in the Disney comedy, Herbie Goes Bananas. The following year, he portrayed Count de Monet in Brooks' History of the World, Part 1. In later years, he did voice work for the live-action film The Flintstones as well as for the animated The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue. He also starred in the short-lived Mel Brooks TV series The Nutt House, and in his final Mel Brooks film, as the zany Dr. Seward, in Dracula: Dead and Loving It. In 1986, he starred in the failed CBS comedy series Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills with Valerie Perrine.

In 1982, he reunited with Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence in the TV movie Eunice reprising his role of Ed Higgins from “The Family” sketches from The Carol Burnett Show. He continued the portrayal on the spin-off series, Mama's Family in addition to introducing each episode of the series during its initial two-season NBC network run, portraying fictional television host Alistair Quince as well as directing 31 episodes of the series.

He also reunited with fellow Carol Burnett Show alumnus Tim Conway, making a guest appearance on Conways 1980–1981 comedy-variety series The Tim Conway Show. The two later toured the U.S., reprising skits from the show and performing new material. A DVD of new comedy sketches by Korman and Conway, Together Again, was released in 2006. Korman and Conway had been jointly inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2002.

Personal life

Marriages Korman was married to Donna Ehlert from 1960 to 1977 and they had two children, Maria and Christopher Korman. He married Deborah Korman (née Fritz) in 1982 and was married to her until he died in 2008. They had two daughters together, Kate and Laura Korman. He is entombed in a crypt at Santa Monica's Woodlawn Cemetery within its Unity Corridor Mausoleum.

Filmography

Film Year Project RoleNotes1959 Carving Magic Al Industrial short1961 Living Venus Ken Carter 1962 Gypsy Gypsy's press agent 1966 Lord Love a Duck Weldon Emmett 1966 The Man Called Flintstone Chief Boulder voice1968 Don't Just Stand There! Merriman Dudley 1969 The April Fools Matt Benson 1974 Blazing Saddles Hedley Lamarr 1974 Huckleberry Finn The King 1976 The Pink Panther Strikes Again Prof. Auguste Balls Scenes deleted but later retooled in Trail of the Pink Panther1977 High Anxiety Dr. Charles Montague 1978 Bud and Lou Bud Abbott 1979 Americathon Monty Rushmore 1980 Herbie Goes Bananas Captain Blythe 1980 First Family U.N. Ambassador Spender 1981 History of the World, Part I Count de Monet 1982 Trail of the Pink Panther Prof. Auguste Balls Scenes incorporated from The Pink Panther Strikes Again1983 Curse of the Pink Panther Prof. Auguste Balls 1984 Gone Are the Dayes Charlie Mitchell 1985 Alice in Wonderland White King 1986 The Longshot Lou 1987 Munchies Cecil Watterman Simon Watterman 1994 The Flintstones Dictabird Voice1994 Radioland Murders Jules Cogley 1995 Dracula: Dead and Loving It Dr. Jack Seward 1996 Jingle All the Way President 1998 The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue Floyd Voice1999 Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure Prof. von Klupp Direct-to-video2000 The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas Col. Slaghoople 2006 Together Again: Conway & Korman Various DVD release

Television

Theatre

Video games The Flintstones (1994) as the Dictabird (voice) The Flintstones: Bedrock Bowling (2000) as The Great Gazoo (voice)

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Project ResultRef.1969 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program The Carol Burnett Show 1971 1972 1973 1974 1976 1977 1972 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Television 1973 1974 1975